Spanish Bayonet

(Yucca aloifolia)

Stiff, sharp-pointed, dagger-like leaves at stem tips. (They really hurt when you bump into the ends of the plant!) The points of these stems were used as needles. In late spring or early summer beautiful creamy white bell-shaped flowers bloom and produce a sweet fragrance at night. A fleshy, leathery berry follows, turning black at maturity. Extracts of the rhizomes have shown anti-inflammatory activity. The flowers are edible raw in salad. The flower stalk may be peeled, cooked and eaten. The fruit is edible but bitter. An extract from yucca stem is used as the foaming agent in root beer. The fibrous leaves have been used in brooms, brushes, baskets, belts, cordage, thread and weaving. Soap and shampoo are made from the roots.

Information Provided by the Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve
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